Cigarettes maker Philip Morris International, Inc. (PM), Tuesday, said the announcement of New Zealand government on standardized packaging recognizes the significant international trade issues.
According to the company, New Zealand's Health Minister Tariana Turia has said that "the Government will wait and see what happens with Australia's legal cases, making it a possibility that if necessary, enactment of New Zealand legislation and/or regulations could be delayed pending those outcomes."
The company further added that while there is no credible evidence that standardized packaging will lower smoking rates, strong evidence exists that it will jeopardize jobs, benefit the black market for cigarettes, and is a breach of international trade rules that have already made Australia's policy subject to WTO action.
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June 12, 2026 17:14 ET Major central bank action was the focus this week in economic news. The European Central Bank became the first major central bank to move in response to the rising inflationary pressures in the backdrop of the conflict in the Middle East. In North America, the U.S. inflation and trade data as well as Canada’s central bank decision gained attention. The Chinese trade data was the main news in Asia.